Combined step-ladder



D. G. SNYDER Patented Apr u |899 comlmEn STEP (EDEH, llll ING AAAAAA No BENCH.

anon med Jul eeeeeeeeeeee I' D. G. SNYDER. COMBINED STEP LADDER, IBDNING BOARD, AND BENCH.

(Application filed Jly 21, 1898*) (No Model.;

2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

lkw

iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliilllllI i? nmmmmunffm llnrrnn STATES Pn'rnnr Uniden.

l DANIEL G. 'SNYDER, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA.

COMBlNEU STEP-LADDER, IRONINGMBOARD, AND BENCH..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 622,723, dated April 11, 1899. Application filed J'uly 21,1898. Serial No. 686,520. (No model.)

To lill whom it may concern; A

Be it known that I, DANIEL Gr. SNYDER, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Reading, in the county of Berks and State of Penn- Sylvania, have invented a new and useful Combined Step-Ladder, .Ironing-Board, and Bench, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is in the nature of a combined step-ladder, ironing-board, bench, or couch, and elevated platform.

The object of my invention is to furnish a combined structure of this class which shall be simple, strong, and durable, composed of a small number of inexpensive and easilymanufactured parts so constructed that they may be readily put together and adjusted to form any of the different articles by house servants or other unskilled labor, and may be folded up into a compact form for purposes of transportation or storage.

With this object in view my invention consists in the improved construction, arrangeinent, and combination of parts, whereby a combined structure of the class described is formed, as fully described in the speciiication, the particular points of novelty in which will be specically set forth in the appended claims.

In Herder to enable others skilled in the art to which myinvention most nearly appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction'and operation reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- A Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating my invention in the form of a step-ladder. Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating my invention in the form of a step-ladder and raised platform. Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating my invention in the form of an ironing-table. Fig. 4: is a perspective view illustrating my invention in the form of a bench, settee, lounge, or cot. Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section through the device, as shown in vFig. 4:. Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the device folded. Fig. 7 is a perspective' view of the under side of the board which forms the raised platform shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the clamping mechanism hereinafter described. Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view of the two forms of braces or supports used when the device is converted into the form illustrated in Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, l0 represents a solid board which forms the back, upon which are secured the two side pieces 11 and 12, steps 13 being secured in notches in the inner sides of the side pieces 11 and 12. Abar 14 is passed through the side pieces 11 and 12 near their upper ends, upon which are pivoted wooden strips or bars 15 and 16, which form the supporting-legs of the step-ladder when in the position shown in Fig. 1, these legs being prevented from moving away from the step-'ladder proper by a pivoted hook 17, attached to the strips 15 and 22 by means of one of the rivets 18, which pivotally connect the strips 15 and 22, said hook being adapted to engage over the `front edge of the side piece 11.

The parts rdescribed with the plank 19, se:- cured upon the top of the side pieces 11 and 12, form a complete step-ladder, the strips 15 and 1G being connected by cross-bars 20, stiffened by braces 21. Strips 22 and 23 are pivotally secured at about their mid-length to the outer sides of the leg-strips 15 and 16 by means of the rivets 18, before mentioned.

24 indicates a board provided with a single downwardly-projecting hook 25 at one end and two downwardly-projecting hooks 261 and 27 at the opposite end. The board 10, which forms the back of the step-ladder, is connected to the plank 19, which forms the top of the step-ladder by an inclined board 28, the purpose of which will be hereinafter described.

The clampingmechanism (illustrated in detail in Fig. 8) consists of two angular metallic arms or rods 29 and 30, secured to the outer sides of strips 22 and 23 by screws or rivets passing through eyes 3l and 32 at their inner ends, the outer ends being bent inward across the ends of the strips until they nearly meet, where they are formed into elongated eyes 33 and 34, in which is engaged an elongated diamond-shaped locking-loop 35, having one end 36 extended to form a handle by which to manipulate it, said loop being turned substantially at right angles to theA cuter ends of the rods in order to bring them together.

IOO

The sides 11 and 12 of the ladder proper are provided with brackets 37 and 3S, there being one on the outside of each piece, each bracket being notched at`39 and 40 to correspond in position or registering with similar notches in the pieces 11 and 12.

The pivoted hook 17 when not in use is folded close against the outside of the piece 22, to which it is pivoted, its hooked end resting in a notch 41, so as to permit its body to lie snugly against the outer surface of the strip out of the way.

In Fig. 9 I have illustrated two forms of braces or supports to be used when the device is converted into a bench, settee, lounge, or cot, as shown in Fig. 4. These braces or supports are pivotally connectedto the strips 15 and 16 and 22 and 23, the braces 42 being pivotally secured to the outer sides of the strips 15 and 16, having inwardly-projecting stops 43 to engage under the lower edge of the strips to which they are attached and outwardlyturned ends 44 to engage over the upper edges of the strips 22 and 23. The braces 45 are pivoted to the outer sides of the strips 22 and 23, j

have inwardly-turned stops 46 to engage the under side of the strips to which they are attached, and are provided with inwardlyturned ends 47 to engage or straddle over the upper edge of the strips 15 and 16. When the device is adjusted in an y other position except that shown in Fig. 4, the braces or supports 42 and 45 are folded closely against the sides of the strips to which they are attached.

The parts hereinbefore described form my complete construction, and I will now proceed to describe how the structure is converted from the step-ladder shown in Fig. 1 to the other forms illustrated in the rest of the drawings.

To convert the step-ladder into a step-ladder and elevated platform, as shown in Fig. 2, it is only necessary to reverse the position of the strips 22 and 23 on their pivots 18, so as to bring their lower ends, which are connected by the clamping mechanism, upward. The two pairs of strips 15 and 16 and 22 and 23 are now brought to the position substantially that of an ordinary saw-horse, the upper ends of the strips'22 and 23 being brought to positions at a distance from the upper ends of the strips 15 and 16 (and consequently from the top of the step-ladder to which 15 and 16 are pivoted) equal to the distance between the hook 25 at one end of the board 24 and the hooks 26 and 27 at the opposite end of said board. The board 24is now reversed from the position shown in Fig. 7, so that itsV or horizontal and will serve as an elevated platform upon which a person can mount by way of the step-ladd er, which by this adjustment is brought into proper position for this purpose, as shown Ain Fig. 2. The elevated platform thus formed maybe utilized forsuch purposes as cleaning the walls of a room or hanging pictures therein, in hanging paper, or painting walls or ceilings, dac.

To convert my combined structure into an ironing-table, it is only necessary to place the strips 15 and 16 and 22 and 23 in substantially the same position in which they are placed in Fig. 2 to form the combined stepladder and elevated platform, lthe board 24 being of course removed, and then turn the step-ladder proper on the rod 14 as a pivot until the board 10 is upward, when the crossarms of the clamping mechanism connecting the upper ends of the strips 22 and 23 maybe inserted in the notches 39 of the lower edges of the side pieces 11 and 12 of the step-ladder. This will bring the board 10 into a horizontal position, supported at the proper distance from the floor to serve as an ironingtable or for any other analogous purpose. The locking-loop 35 is now turned to its vertical position, as shown in Fig. 3, which will squeeze the upper ends of the strips 22 and 23 tightly against the sides 1l and 12 of the step-ladder proper, thus forming amuch more rigid structure.

To change the ironing-table into a structure such as illustrated in Fig. 4, which may be utilized as a bench, settee, lounge, or cot, it is only necessary to loosen the locking-loop 35 and change the arms ofthe clamping mechanism from the notches 39 into the notches 40, whichwill lower the board while maintaining its horizontal position, the inclined board 28 serving as a base or support for a pillow at one end when itis desired to use the structure as a lounge, couch, or cot, any suitable cushion being placed upon the top of the board when desired. In this structureas in the ironing-table, the locking-loop is again changed to its vertical position, drawing the strips 22 and 23 tightly against the sides of the step-ladder. To further support the device when in this form, the two pairs of braces or supporting-legs 42 and 45 are turned downward into the positions shown in Fig. 4, as hereinbefore described.

- To fold the structure up for purposes of storage or transportation, the strips 15 and 16 and 22 and 23 are laid parallel to each other with the clamping mechanism which connects the strips 22 and 23 at the bottom of said strips, as in the step-ladder construction shown in Fig. 1, when the strips thus folded may be moved to a position outside of ICO IIO

and parallel with the side pieces 11 and 12 of the step-ladder, the brace-.rods lying upon the outside and the clamping mechanism occupying a position at the en d of the side pieces of the ladder, as clearly shown in Fig. 6, the whole structure occupyingv the small space that the step-ladder occupies, plus a width equal to the thickness of the four strips 15 and 1G and 22 and 23. The board 24 may be laid upon the structure and secured thereto in any suitable manner, when the Whole device may be stored out of the Way in a very small space.

The construction of my combination device Will be readily understood from the foregoing description, and it Will be obvious from the extreme simplicity of the various parts that the structure can be very cheaply made by ordinary mechanics and as cheaply and readily repaired When broken or Worn out.

While I have illustrated and described the best means now known to me for carrying out my invention, I do not Wish to be understood as restricting myself to the exact details of construction shown, but hold that any slight variations therefrom, such as might suggest themselves to the ordinary mechanic, would be clearly comprehended within the limit and scope of my invention.

Ilaving thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The combination with the ladder proper of a step-ladder, consisting of side pieces, back boardand steps, of leg-strips pivoted to the side pieces near their upperends, similar strips pivoted on the outside of the leg-strips at about their mid-length, a clamping mechanism connecting the ends of said outside strips and adapted to engage in notches in the lower edges of the side pieces of the stepladder when in position to form an ironingtable, substantially as described.

2. The combination With the ladder proper of a Stepdadder, consisting of side pieces,`

back board and steps, of leg-strips pivoted to the side pieces near their upper ends, similar strips pivoted on the outside of the first-mentioned leg-strips at about their mid-length, a clamping mechanism connecting the ends of said outside strips and adapted to engage in notches in the lower edges of the side pieces of the step-ladder when Ain position to forma bench, lounge, couch or cot, the top board of the step-ladder projecting beyond the line of the back board thereof, and an inclined board extending from the end of the back board to the edge of the top board of the step-ladder to form a pillow-support, substantially as de scribed.

3. The combination With the leg-strips 22 and 23, of the clamping mechanism connecting them together and consisting of angular bars or rods, the inner ends thereof lying against the outside of said strips and secured thereto by means of screws passing through the eyes 31 and 32, the cross-arms or sections passing over the ends of the strips toward each other and terminating in elongated eyes 33 and 34C, andthe locking-loop 35 passed.

through-said elongated eyes and provided with handle 3G, substantially as described.

4. In a folding settee, cot, or lounge, the

combination With the step-ladder forming the top thereof, of leg-strips 15 and 16 pivoted at one end to the side strips of the step-ladder and resting at their opposite ends on the floor, leg-strips 22 and 23 pivoted to the outside of the strips 15 and 1G and provided with a clamping mechanism at their upper ends to engage in the notches in the side pieces of the step-ladder, their lower ends resting upon the floor, braces or supports 42 pivoted vto the strips 15 and 16 near their upper ends having inwardly-turned stops 43 to engage the under sides of said strips, and outwardlyprojecting bent ends 44 to straddle the upper edge of strips 22 and 23, and braces or supports 45 pivoted to the strips 22 and 23 near their upper ends having inWardly-turned stops to rest against the under side of said strips and inwardlyturned lower ends to straddle the upper edges of the strips 15 and 16,substantially as described.

'DANIEL G. SNYDER. Vitnesses:

AARON B. SHAWL, WM. T. SNYDER. 

